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“You want what?!”
“You heard me, Mabel Pines,” the blond haired rich girl said.
“I thought maybe my ears just needed cleaning. But why do you want a rematch?”
Pacifica folded her arms. “One, we never finished the game. And two, you and your brother were totally cheating.”
“But that was years ago. I already apologized for cheating and besides, you would have won easy.”
“There’s no way to know that for sure, Mabel. It’s been bugging me for years now, and I need to know for sure.”
Mabel was at a loss for words. Finally she shrugged. “Alright, Paz. If that’s what you really want, but what happens when we find out who wins?”
A tiny smirk touched Pacifica’s mouth. “Simple. The winner gets one command that the loser must perform.”
Mabel stiffened. Friend or not, she wasn’t sure about effectively being Pacifica’s servant, even for a few minutes. At last, she sighed. “Okay.”
*********
Mabel watched as the other girl tipped her golf ball into the eighteenth hole. “And that’s a hole in one,” Pacifica said. “You have one shot, Pines. Miss this, and I win.”
The game had been neck and neck all the way through. Mabel had managed to keep up with her friend, but the best she could hope for now was to tie the game and go into “sudden death.”
Mabel looked at the layout. All she had to do was hit the ball through the windmill and land in the hole. She lined up her shot and tapped her pink ball. It rolled straight into the windmill, coming out the other side a moment later and continuing towards the hole. Mabel could tell, though, that she’d put just a bit too much force into her stroke. The ball rolled towards the hole, but sailed over the opening and struck the far end, sending it up into the air before coming to a halt just an inch past the hole.
“I guess that’s game,” Pacifica said. “I’ll be honest, I’m surprised it was so close. I’d have thought for sure that one of us would have taken an early lead.”
“You played a great game,” Mabel said. “And fair’s fair. I’m ready to do whatever it is you want me to do.”
Her friend smiled and shook her head. “Not yet. Can you come by the mansion tomorrow evening? I’ll have everything ready then.”
Just what did Pacifica have in mind? “I guess I can.”
Pacifica’s smile widened slightly, though Mabel noticed that it didn’t seem malicious. “Great. Well, I have some preparations to make, so I have to be going, but I’ll see you tomorrow, Mabel.” And with that, the blond strolled away, leaving Mabel to wonder just what was going to happen.
*********
It was with some trepidation that Mabel Pines pulled up to the Northwest Mansion gate. She had spent the entire day wondering just what her friend had planned for her. She reached out the window and pushed the buzzer. A moment later, Pacifica’s voice came over the speaker. “Hi, Mabel. I’m glad you could make it.”
“A deal’s a deal.”
“I’m glad just the same. I’ll meet you at the door.” The gate slowly opened and Mabel drove through and around the courtyard to the main entrance. To her great surprise, she saw that not only was Pacifica indeed waiting for her at the door, but she was alone. She didn’t have a servant at her side.
Her friend was wearing a lovely lilac dress. Mabel looked down at her own attire, feeling incredibly underdressed. No mention was made of wearing anything fancy, so she wore one of her typical sweater/skirt ensembles. The sweater was something she had just finished knitting a few days before, with a unicorn jumping a fence emblazoned on the front. When she pulled up, Pacifica actually stepped forward and opened the car door for her.
Mabel stepped out of the car and looked at her friend. “Is everything alright?”
Pacifica looked at her as if a bug had landed on her nose. “Of course everything’s alright. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Normally, I’d expect your butler to be the one letting me out of my car.”
Pacifica chuckled. “Oh, Nigel’s attending to other tasks right now.”
She led the brunette into the main foyer. Memories, not all of them pleasant, intruded as she remembered the night of the Northwest’s annual ball. She suppressed a shudder. “Okay, Paz,” she said, “what’s my command?”
“What’s the rush?” Pacifica asked. “You only just got here. And besides, you must be hungry.” She led Mabel through the foyer and into the dining room, where a pair of places were already set on one end of an absurdly long table. A pair of servants pulled their chairs away for them.
Mabel had to admit, she didn’t think to grab a big dinner before coming over, settling on a simple PB&J sandwich on her way out of the shack. Bowls of tomato bisque were already set, with baguettes and butter on the side. She allowed herself to be sat down and, spoon in hand, tasted the soup.
“Oh my gosh,” she exclaimed, “this is good!”
“Our chef is one of France’s top chefs. If you think the starter is good, just wait until the main course.”
“Main course? You mean there’s more?”
Pacifica gave her a knowing smile as she handed her a baguette. As soon as they had finished the soup, the bowls were whisked away and replaced with plates of beef bourguignon. Mabel took one bite and immediately squealed, drawing laughs from her friend.
“Told you so,” Pacifica said.
“This is the best food I’ve ever tasted!”
Pacifica turned to look at the butler standing beside her. “Nigel. Would you please tell Francois what Mabel said?”
“Very good, Miss Northwest,” he replied.
“Thank you, Nigel,” Pacifica said, smiling.
Again, as soon as they finished the course, the staff swiftly took the empty plates away and brought out dessert. A pair of crème brûlées were brought out. Both were topped with a dollop of whipped cream, though the one placed before Mabel’s was significantly larger than Pacifica’s.
“Looks like he was happy you enjoyed his cooking,” Pacifica told her.
The two made quick work of dessert and their plates were taken away for the last time. Mabel looked to her friend. “Thank you for dinner, Paz.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Now are you going to tell me what you want me to do?”
Pacifica exhaled through her nose, a bit perturbed. “Mabel, we just finished eating. Let dinner settle a bit. Tell me something: do you play an instrument?”
“An instrument? Well, I play a little piano, but not very well.”
Pacifica stood and gestured for Mabel to follow. She was led through another short hallway into a ballroom, where a beautiful grand piano stood. Pacifica sat herself at the keys and with a final glance to her friend, began to play.
As Pacifica’s fingers delicately played the melody, Mabel was doubly struck. First, that her friend could play; she had never struck her as the piano type. And second, that she could play so beautifully. Every time she closed her eyes, she felt herself being lifted by the airy melody. However lovely the sensation was, she didn’t want to take her eyes off Pacifica. There was an aura around the girl as she played that Mabel found difficult to ignore. She was positively radiant.
When the song came to a close, Mabel clapped enthusiastically. Pacifica stood and curtseyed demurely, but the look on her face told Mabel that she was very pleased with the reaction. “Pacifica, that was beautiful!”
“Thank you,” Pacifica said. “That was actually the first time I’ve played for someone who wasn’t my tutor or a servant.”
“What?” Mabel asked, amazed. “Not even your parents?”
“I tried, more than once, but they always had other ‘commitments.’”
Mabel looked shocked. “That’s horrible, but that’s their loss. I’m glad you shared that with me.”
“You’re welcome.” Pacifica glanced over to the far end of the room, where a grandfather clock stood. “It’s almost seven. Isn’t tonight the season premier of ‘Tiger Fist?’”
“Whoa, whoa, back it up,” Mabel said. “You watch ‘Tiger Fist?’”
Pacifica laughed. “It’s a bit silly, but there’s nothing wrong with silly sometimes.” They stepped back into the hallway and Pacifica led the way to a home theater that rivaled just about every megaplex she’d ever been to. The screen was enormous, covering an entire wall. A dozen rows of seats extended back, each successive row set high enough so that the view was unencumbered. The seats themselves could recline, complete with foot rest and cup holders.
Mabel and Pacifica took a pair of seats and Pacifica turned on the projector as Nigel appeared with a large bowl of popcorn and two bottles of Pitt Cola. They settled in just as the previous season’s cliffhanger ending replayed. They watched as a helpless Tiger Fist was left in a warehouse to die with mere minutes before it exploded.
“How’s Tiger Fist going to get out this?” Mabel asked. With seconds to spare, Tiger Fist’s human partner burst into the room. With remarkable strength, he lifted the beast in a fireman’s carry and staggered out the door. However, just before they could reach a safe distance, the bomb went off, sending flames and shrapnel everywhere. They collapsed to the ground, and Tiger Fist regained consciousness to find his human with a shank of wood piercing his shoulder blade.
Mabel’s hands went to the armrests of her seat. When her right hand landed atop Pacifica’s, she automatically took hold of it, gripping it tightly.
On screen, the scene had dissolved to a hospital, where a doctor approached Tiger Fist.
“His shoulder was badly damaged in the explosion,” he explained as he led the animal to his partner’s room. “But we managed to repair him.” The camera pulled around to reveal that they had surgically grafted him…
“With a Tiger Claw!”
*********
After the program had ended, Pacifica turned to Mabel. “It’s getting late. You probably should be heading home.”
A little confused, Mabel stood and allowed herself to be led to the main entrance. Outside, her car was waiting for her, Nigel holding the door open.
“I had a wonderful evening,” Pacifica said.
“So did I,” Mabel replied. “I’m just surprised that all you wanted was to spend the evening together. You didn’t have to make a bet to make that happen.”
“That’s not my command.”
“It’s not? Well, then what is it then?”
“Well, actually it’s not a command. It’s a request.”
Mabel furrowed her brow, still confused. “Okaaay.”
“Mabel,” Pacifica said, “can I kiss you?”
She blinked. “Kiss…me?”
“It’s actually something I’ve been wanting for some time. It’s just, I admire you, Mabel. Even when I was giving you grief back when we were twelve, I secretly admired you. Your carefree attitude, your upbeat personality, your ability to make friends that actually wanted to spend time with you and not just because you were rich. Ever since the night of that first golf game, I’ve had a little bit of a crush on you.”
“You have?”
Pacifica nodded. “And even if you never return my feelings, I needed to get them off my chest. No matter what happens after tonight, I will always remember and treasure this time we had.” She looked down at her feet and tensed as Mabel approached her.
Mabel extended a hand and gently lifted her friend’s face to meet hers. Smiling, she leaned in and pressed their lips together. Pacifica felt a tear roll down her cheek and reached up to Mabel’s cheek. As her fingers caressed her friend’s smooth skin, she knew that this was really happening. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss as Mabel’s hand laid itself upon her shoulder.
The kiss only lasted for a matter of seconds, but felt much longer. They slowly parted and looked into each other’s eyes before they both broke into a giggling fit. Pacifica wiped another tear away from her eye. “Thank you, Mabel.”
“I didn’t know you felt that way, Paz. We’re going to have to get together sometime and you can tell me everything.”
Pacifica grinned. “I don’t suppose you’d be up for a sleepover sometime?”
“You said the magic word,” Mabel replied before giving her friend a peck on the nose. “I don’t know if we’re gonna do a lot of sleeping, though.”